Car-stake pocket.



UNITED STATES atented ctober 20, 1903; PATENT OFFICE.,

JOSEPH FLEMIN G MCKECHNI, ELEELE, TERRITORY OF HAWAII CAR-STKE POCKET- srnciEIcArIoN 'forming part of Letters Batem- No. 742,050, dated october ao, 1903-.

' Application filed April 16, 1903. y Serial No. 152,876. (No model.)

To caf/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH FLE'MING Mo- KECHNI-E, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Eleele, Kauai, in the Territory of Hawaii, have invented a new and Improved Car-Stake Pocket, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The objectof this invention is toprovide novel details of construction for a car-stake pocket which will hold the stake in a vertical position, prevent rattling of the stake, greatly strengthen the side walls of the pocket, and prevent detachment of the stake accidentally, but permit its convenient removal from the pocketwhen this is desired.`

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of` reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved stake-supporting vpocket in position on a car and holding a stake vertically at the side of the platform of the car. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front View of the improved pocket; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, showing the clamping-bar and the latch-piece thereon in closed condition by full lines and in opened adjustment by dotted lines.

The improvement is especially adapted for service on railroad-cars used to carry freight without cover, such cars having each a planked platform and low sides that are held upright by stakes, in turn supported by indi-l vidual pocket-irons secured at spaced intervals on the car-frame at the sides f the platform.

The ordinary pocket-irons for holding carstakes along the sides of platform-cars do not reliably hold the stakes, so that the engaged lower ends of the stakes soon rattle and wear suciently to be accidentally detached and lost.

The improvement which is designed to correct the imperfections of ordinary car-stake pockets is constructed as follows: Two par- 1 allel side walls 5 5 are joined together integrally by the bottom wall 6 and also by the rear wall 7, that is integral with the rear upright edges of the spaced side Walls 5. The back plate or rear wal17, which closes up the rear side of the rectangular pocket 4, afforded by the described construction, projects laterally outside of each side wall 5 to provide Wings 5a for the pocket. Near the upright edges of each of the wings 5a a horizontal web 8 is Vformed that extends along the outer surface of a respective side wall 5, integral with Athe wing and side wall, thus becominga reinforcing member, whereby each` side wall of the pocket is supported to resist pressure applied upon the inner surface of the same. Below each web 8 the wing 5a may be thick, ened, and in said thickened portion 5b a bolthole a is formed for the reception of suitable bolts b, that aord means for securing the.

stake-pocket upon the side A of a'car-platform A, as indicated in Fig. l.

Upon one side wall 5 a joint-leaf 9a is formed, preferably in advance of the outer end of the web 8 thereon, and upon said jointleaf the spaced joint-leaves 9 9 are loosely mounted and pivoted by a pintle-bolt 9b, said leaves 9 being integral formations on the latch-bar 10. The latch-bar is, by its hinged connectionwith one side wall 5, adapted to swing across the otherwise open front'side of the pocket 4 and have engagement at its free end with the other side wall 5 of the pocket.

Preferably the front edge of the side wall 5, whereon the latch-bar 10 im pinges, is thickened to produce material for the formation of a vertical groove c in the ,inner surface of the sidewall, and the corner of the thickened portion is cut away, as at c', to form a latchhook and an abutment whereon the sloped end c2 of the latch-bar 10 may be seated when said latch-bar is swung into contact therewith.

A preferably oval latch-block ll is secured -in an open recess onthe side of the latch-bar l0 that is innermost when said latch-bar is in closed adjustment, a shank d on said latchblock being projected through the latch-bar and also through one end portion of a leverhandle 12, whereon it is rigidly afxed by riveting its projected end or by'other means.

As indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the

lever-handle 12 is secured on the oval latchblock 11 at a right angle to a centerline passing through the widest portion of said block,

ICO

and, as is also shown in said figure, the handle 12 when adjusted to hang pendent causes 4the latch-block 1l to engage an edge of its widest portion With the latch-hook c on the pocket side Wall 5.

The stake C, that is to engage one end thereof within the pocket-cavity 4L, is shaped to fit neatly therein and seat upon the bottom wall 6, and, as shown in Fig. 3, the inner side of the latch-block 11 may with advantage be rendered convex and projected so as to have bearing upon the front Wall of the stake C.

It will be seen that for the free insertion of the stake C within the pocket 4 the handle l2 should be rocked into a horizontal position and toward the hinged end of the latch-bar, which will dispose the Widest portion of the latch-block 1l in a vertical plane and obvi.

ously release the latch-block from the hook e'.

Upon a full introduction of the stake C within the pocket et it may be clamped therein and positively secured from accidental d isplacement by simply turning the bandledever l2 down into a pendent position after the latch-bar ll has been rocked into closed adjustment.

It will be evident that the entire device may be cast into form and that on account of the provision of the reinforcing-webs 8 the stakepoeket may be light and yet be strong enough to resist strain in any direction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A stake-pocket, comprising a box open at the front, Wings at the sides of said box for attachment of the pocket to a ear, a hinged latch-bar adapted to swing across the open front of the pocket, and a latch-block on a lever handle mounted on the latch-bar and adapted to hold the latch-bar in closed adjustrnent.

2. A stake-pocket, comprising a box open at the front and closed at the bottom, and provided with lateral wings perforated to receive bolts, a reinforcing-web at each side of the box, formed integral with the Wings and sides of said box, a latch-bar hinged near the upper end of one side Wall of the box, the opposite side Wall having a latch-hook formed thereon, a lever-handle, and a latch-block oval in contour, having a projection thereon passing through the latch-bar and affixed in an end of said lever-handle, the latch-block being interloeked With the latch-hook when the handle is pendent.

3. The combination with a ear and a earstake, of a pocket for said stake, comprising a box open at the front, wings at the sides of said box, reinforcing-webs engaging the wings and sides of the box, ahinged latch-bar adapted to swing across the open front of the pocket, a latch-block mounted on the latohbar, and a handle-lever secured on a projection of the latch-block that passes through the latch-bar, said latch-block being adapted to latch fast to a hook on one side of the box when the latch-bar is in closed adjustment and the lever is pendent.

4. A stake-pocket, comprising a box open at the front, a latch-bar adapted to swing across the open front, a lever pivoted on the latch-bar, and means carried by the lever for locking the latch-bar in closed adjustment.

5. A stake-pocket, comprising a box open at the front, a latcli-bar pivoted near one end thereof on a side of the box so as to swing across the open front, a lever pivoted near one end on the latch-bar near its free end, and means' carried by the lever for locking the latch-bar on the opposite side of the box when the lever is pendent. i

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this speeieation in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. l

JOSEPH FLEMING MCKECIAINIE.

W'itnesses:

THOMAS R. NEAL, WALTER F. SANBORN. 

